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2007 Fargo Film Festival
Category: Fargo Filmmaking Wiki Category: Film Festival The 2007 Fargo Film Festival was held March 7 through 10 at the Fargo Theatre. The festival's second venue was the Roberts Street Theatre, located on the main floor of the historic Ivers building. Cover created by Dan Francis Awards and Award Winners * Winner of Best Animation: Fission (2006) * Winner of Best Documentary Feature (Native American Voices): Waterbuster * Winner of Best Documentary Short: A Short History of Sweet Potato Pie and How It Became a Flying Saucer (2006) * Winner of Best Documentary Short (Native American Voices): Gesture Down/I Don’t Sing (2006) * Winner of Best Experimental: Blood of the Earthworm (2006) * Winner of Best Narrative Feature: Slatland (2005) * Winner of Best Narrative Feature (Native American Voices): Mile Post 398 * Winner of Best Narrative Short: Chronicles of Impeccable Sportsmanship (2006) * Winner of Best Student Film (Comedy): They Walk Among Us * Winner of Best Student Film (Drama): Alone * Recipient of the Bill Snyder Award for Best Documentary Feature: Beyond the Call (2006) * Recipient of the Ruth Landfield Award: Cine Manifest (2006) * Recipient of the Ted M. Larson Award: No award given Festival Introduction The following introduction was written by Fargo Theatre Executive Director Margie Bailly, and appeared in the program: ::Dear Festival Audiences, ::As we finalize the program for this year's festival, the words from an old Brownie Scout song float into my somewhat scattered consciousness... "make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold," a childhood verse that reflects the character of our seventh annual film festival. In 2007, we welcome back old friends, Rob Nilsson, John Hanson, Gayle Schickele, Erika Tasini, Nina Seavey and Melody Gilbert. Our old friends' work is programmed with that of filmmakers new to our festival, creating a unique patter that will hopefully please long-time festival audiences and engage new audiences. ::So come in out of Fargo's brisk March breezes and wrap yourself in the warm fabric of this year's festival. A festival that weaves cinematic threads of compelling stories from talented friends, old and new. ::We'll even give you a badge. That's a "Brownie promise." Festival Programming Wednesday, March 7 Afternoon Session at the Fargo Theatre * Best of Festival Films at the Fargo Theatre * Fission (2006) directed by Kun-I Chang :Animation, 5 minutes, New York, New York. Winner Best Animation ::A motion graphic film of a man seeing himself as graffiti on the wall. * Chronicles of Impeccable Sportsmanship (2006) directed by Erika Tasini :Narrative Short, 7 minutes, Los Angeles, California. Winner Best Narrative Short ::The endless contentions of competitive parents seen through the curious eyes of a perceptive and enterprising little girl. * Alone (2006) directed by John-Kristian Dalseth :Student, 16 minutes, Kastrup, Denmark. Winner Student Best Drama. ::Close friends can care about and understand each other - but they can't always save each other. * A Message directed by Daniel Bruns :Student, 5 minutes, West Fargo, North Dakota. ::Following a bad break up with his girlfriend, a man realizes that his life is not complete without her. As a result, he writes an emotionally charged message asking for her forgiveness. * A Cigar at the Beach (2006) directed by Stephen Keep Mills :Narrative Short, 15 minutes, Topanga, California. Honorable Mention ::A modern tale of the mid-life male. * Slatland (2005) directed by Brett Bell :Narrative Feature, 49 minutes, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Winner Best Narrative Feature ::A young woman named Margit is engaged to Rezvan, a Romanian refugee, but she suspects there is more to his family situation back home than he lets on. The answer may lie in her own childhood, her parents' divorce, and with an unconventional psychiatrist Afternoon Session at the Roberts Street Theatre * "Best Of" screening for Fargo's 2006 48 Hour Film Project with Ira Livingston. The 2007 competition will be announced at this time. Pre-Party * at Monte's Evening Session at the Fargo Theatre : Extraordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things * Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness (2007) directed by Melody Gilbert :Documentary Feature, 85 minutes, St. Paul, Minnesota. Honorable Mention ::This film delves into the world of urban exploration, a growing international subculture of adventure seekers who explore places that most people would never dream of going. * ReStoring Hope directed by Gabriel Wimmer, Brian Heald, Andy Halling and Elijah Larson :Student Documentary Short, 9 minutes. Winner Prairie Spirit Award ::Habitat for Humanity Documentary. * Beyond the Call (2006) directed by Adrian Belic :Documentary Feature, 82 minutes, Vallejo, California. Winner of the Bill Snyder Award for Best Documentary Feature ::An Indiana Jones meets Mother Teresa adventure. Three middle-aged men, former soldiers and modern-day knights, travel the world delivering life-saving humanitarian aid directly into the hands of civilians and doctors in some of the most dangerous, yet beautiful places on earth, the front lines of war. Evening Session at the Roberts Street Theatre Thursday, March 8 Morning Session at the Fargo Theatre * Blades: Stories of the American Lawn directed by Kate Reynolds :Documentary Short, 30 minutes, Evansville, Indiana. ::A journey through pink flamingos, weed whackers, riding mowers and gazing garden balls - examining the American front lawn. * Millions: A Lottery Story (2006) directed by Paul Le Blanc :Documentary Feature, 100 minutes, New York, New York. ::This movie follows the lives of three groups who become big money winners, telling a poignant story of luck, loss and redemption. A life-altering experience affecting the lives of ordinary people. * Pandora's Bike directed by Potter-Belmar Labs :Animation, 13 minutes, San Antonio, Texas. ::A woman needs her bicycle and to find it she must transcend this earthly plane, its hardship and confusion. Along the way she gains a greater understanding of the cosmos and the true meaning of a bicycle. * To Say Goodbye directed by Scott Foley :Documentary Short, 19 minutes, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ::A short documentary that explores the sometimes troubled relationship between Sara and her mother, a woman who suffers from alcoholism. Morning Session at the Roberts Street Theatre * Johnny Tootall (2005) directed by Shirley Cheechoo :Narrative Feature Native American Voices, 93 minutes, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. ::A soldier carrying the weight of the war on his shoulders return home to fulfill the vision of this father chief of the people. A journey of self-discovery, loss and hope for keeping tradition alive. * Silent Thunder directed by Angelique Midthunder :Documentary Short Native American Voices, 27 minutes, Santa Fe, New Mexico. ::A cowboy poet tells the story of a paraplegic man who is bringing back the spirit of his people through horse training and mentorship. Luncheon and Panel at the Roberts Street Theatre * "Illuminating Women" :Panelists include Kyja Kristjansson-Nelson, Melody Gilbert, Judy Irola, Nina Seavey and Mary Trunk. Afternoon Session at the Fargo Theatre * No One Ever Wins (2007) directed by Tony Urgo and Krisztian Orban :Documentary Feature, 60 minutes, Oakland, California. ::A documentary that examines the lives of residents in Hezbollah, Lebanon during the Israeli conflict of 2006. A country divided by a religious conflict tells its story in the words of its people. * Riverboat Dreams directed by Jay Kranzler :Documentary Feature, 59 minutes, St. Louis, Missouri. ::Gambling has become as common in American society as going to the movies. But at what cost? Who are the real winners and losers? Riverboat Dreams examines the personal struggles, losses and successses of people and communities where riverboat casinos have become the ultimate wager. * Downtown Locals (2006) directed by Robin Muir & Rory Muir :Documentary Feature, 82 minutes, Los Angeles, California. Honorable Mention ::Follow six unique subway performers as they struggle to earn a living and defend their right to perform in New York City's underground. * Pelo Malo directed by Elizabeth Chatelain :Student, 6 minutes, Middlebury, Vermont. ::One young woman's story of growing up with the white standard of beauty and her journey of redefining beauty for herself. Afternoon Session at the Roberts Street Theatre * C. Beck directed by Deb Wallwork :Documentary Short, 7 minutes, St. Paul, Minnesota. ::A portrait of an artist who speaks about the patterns of nature, scavenging materials and the mystery of art. * Moorhead Library: 100 Years Old (2006) directed by Mel Stone :Documentary Short, 18 minutes, Fargo, North Dakota. ::In the late 1800s, Moorhead was a very rough town. A few people envisioned a place where the public could read for free - a public library. * Newton's Disease directed by Jason Page :Narrative Feature, 86 minutes, Duluth, Minnesota. ::Newton's disease may or may not exist - his own existence is a quagmire of disappointment. Work is a vacuum, his shring is a pusher and his marriage is a joke. * Human Business directed by Laura Shandera :Student, 9 minutes, Bozeman, Montana. ::Heather Fleiss is living the American Dream... selling stock in herself on the H.S.I. (Human Stock Index). Her stock is up and she has a great outlook, thanks to her boyfriend, Stone, and Quinn Manslaughter, her Strategic Outlook Manager, at her side. A change in the market changes all of that. Pre-Party at Green Market Evening Session at the Fargo Theatre * All About a Girl (2004) directed by Cecelia Condit :Experimental, 6 minutes, Shorewood, Wisconsin. Honorable Mention ::An ordinary game of "let's pretend" turns uncanny as alone in the woods, a girl projects life, voice and ultimately her own identity onto an unexpected surrogate in a doll's dress. * Invisibilities directed by Jennifer Proctor :Experimental, 10 minutes, Iowa City, Iowa. ::A portrait of Ava Su Ganwei, a Chinese-American artist with invisible disabilities and conspicuous gifts. * A Short History of Sweet Potato Pie and How It Became a Flying Saucer (2006) directed by Nina Gilden Seavey :Documentary Short, 18 minutes, Washington, DC. Winner Best Documentary Short ::With its rich perfume, earthy taste, and silken lustre, Pearl Mallory's sweet potato pie inspires the most extaordinary and unexpected impact on the normally sober and otherwise staid resident of St. Mary's Home. Sweet Potato Pie is all the evidence you need to know that "You are what you eat." * The Betty Mystique directed by Susan Marks :Documentary Short, 25 minutes, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Honorable Mention ::Who is Betty Crocker? And why is the nation buying what she's selling? Answers lie in her rich history, clever marketing, cake mixes and secret identity, profound symbolism and all - American kitchen kitsch. * Building Bridges (2006) directed by Jeanine Isabel Butler :Documentary Short, 13 minutes, Washington, D.C. Honorable Mention ::Bosnia. Transcending ethnic and religious conflict in a country fractured by war, women join together to produce new law, protecting women and families. * Cine Manifest (2006) directed by Judy Irola :Documentary Feature, 75 minutes, Los Angeles, California. Winner Ruth Landfield Award ::A remarkable film on a Marxist film collective in San Francisco in the 1970s. Interviews with Gene Corr, Peter Gessner, John Hanson, Judy Irola, Stephen Lighthill, Rob Nilsson, and Steve Wax. Friday, March 9 Morning Session at the Fargo Theatre * The Pledge directed by Ann Steuernagel :Experimental, 6 minutes, Cambridge, Massachusetts. ::Vietnam war era footage - the material is sadly timelss, providing on with the opportunity to ruminate on war and hopefully peace. * The Boat People (2007) directed by Rob Curry :Narrative Feature, 88 minutes, London, England. ::A psychological thriller. Jared and his girlfriend travel to their seaside cottage, where Jared is haunted with dreams of an exotic land. * My Lover's Moods (2006) directed by Jack Newell :Narrative Short, 10 minutes, Chicago, Illinois. ::A young man attempts to understand the strange and mercurial emotions that possess his girlfriend. * Alone directed by John-Kristian Dalseth :Student, 16 minutes, Kastrup, Denmark. Winner Student Best Drama. ::Close friends can care and understand each other - but they can't always save each other. * A Message directed by Daniel Bruns :Student, 5 minutes, West Fargo, North Dakota. ::Following a bad break up with his girlfriend, a man realizes that his life is not complete without her. As a result, he writes an emotionally charged message asking for her forgiveness. Morning Session at the Roberts Street Theatre * Fargo Filmmaking Wiki Presentation with Greg Carlson : * Teachings of the Tree People directed by Katie Jennings :Documentary Feature Native American Voices, 57 minutes, Seattle, Washington. * Yukon Circles (2006) directed by Karin Williams :Documentary Feature Native American Voices, 27 minutes, Los Angeles, California. Luncheon and Panel at the Roberts Street Theatre *"It's Academic My Dear Watson" - Contemporary Film School Curriculum :Panelists include Tom Brandau, Greg Carlson, Rusty Casselton, Judy Irola and Susan Revland. Afternoon Session at the Fargo Theatre * Eaten directed by Anne Haydock :Student, 8 minutes, Iowa City, Iowa. ::A game of dress up; windows and wallpaper, hawks and moths, olive loaf and tinfoil. The sounds and gestures of the everyday gather to become a pre-articulated vocabulary of desire, anxiety and basic human needs. * Untitled directed by Kipp Zavada :Student, 2 minutes, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ::Untitled drifts through malleable experience, states of unrest and the spaces between projection and regression. * Windy directed by Michael Hersrud :Student, 1 minute, Los Angeles, California. ::A stop motion animation - an attempt to create a humorous narrative. * The Almighty Beer directed by Yohei Kawamata :Narrative Short, 2 minutes, Brooklyn, New York. ::A priest tells his psychiatrist about his private life. The priest is depressed that wine doesn't work anymore - the psychiatrist gives him something extraordinary. * The Morning After directed by Casey Walker :Narrative Short, 9 minutes, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ::A dark comedy. A young man meets a girl before her wedding. * The Detention Teacher directed by Ben Weeks :Student, 25 minutes. Honorable Mention. ::Terry, a detention supervisor, is having marital problems. He and his wife don't communicate anymore. Feeling like he's been conditioned not to love by his disciplinarian job, Terry decides he's going to do things differently. * The Still Life (2005) directed by Joel Miller :Narrative Feature, 97 minutes, Los Angeles, California. ::An artist struggles to pick up the pieces of his tattered life. A reclusive alcoholic, he creates a new art genre called Destructionism and his work catapults him into the limelight. * Pan directed by Rob Nillson :Narrative Feature, 98 minutes. Invited Film ::A small band of dysfunctional renegade homeless people, led by charismatic "Pan" befriends a lonely youngster, a fatherless "Bobby" who stumbles upon their homeless encampment nestled by the railroad tracks. Afternoon Session at the Roberts Street Theatre * Sadie Turns Seven (2006) directed by Todd Tinkham :Narrative Short, 9 minutes, Los Angeles, California. * 1 Phone, 2 Phone, 3 Phone, 4 directed by Darren Leis :Narrative Short, 11 minutes, New York, New York. * Not a King's Ransom directed by Tony Cammarata :Narrative Short, 8 minutes. Pre-Party * Isabella's Evening Session at the Fargo Theatre * Startle Pattern directed by Eric Patrick :Animation, 13 minutes. Honorable Mention. * Blood of the Earthworm directed by Brittany Gravely :Experimental, 32 minutes. Winner Best Experimental. * They Walk Among Us directed by Gabriel Wimmer :Student, 17 minutes. Winner Best Student Comedy. * Sweet Caroline directed by Chris Newberry :Narrative Short, 14 minutes. Honorable Mention. * East of Euclid (2004) directed by Jeff Solylo :Narrative Feature, 88 minutes. Winner Narrative Feature Best Comedy. Evening Session at the Roberts Street Theatre * 2007 2-Minute Movie Contest * One in Nine (2006) directed by Michael Stromenger :Narrative Feature, 97 minutes. Saturday, March 10 Morning Session at the Fargo Theatre * Mile Post 398 directed by Shonie De La Rosa and Andee De La Rosa :Narrative Feature, 110 minutes, Kayenta, Arizona. Winner Best Narrative Feature Native American Voices. ::Cloyd tries to turn his life around by attempting to quit dirnking. He realizes that this is easier said than done. * Invisibilities directed by Jennifer Proctor :Experimental, 10 minutes, Iowa City, Iowa. ::A portrait of Ava Su Ganwei, a Chinese-American artist with invisible disabilities and conspicuous gifts. * Pledge directed by Ann Steuernagel :Experimental, 6 minutes, Cambridge, Massachusetts. ::Vietnam war era footage - the material is sadly timeless, providing one with the opportunity to ruminate on war and hopefully peace. * Pandora’s Bike directed by Potter-Belmar Labs :Experimental, 13 minutes, San Antonio, Texas. ::A woman needs her bicycle and to find it she must transcend this earthly plane, its hardship and confusion. Along the way she gains a greater understaning of the cosmos and the true meaning of a bicycle. * All About a Girl directed by Cecilia Condit :Experimental, 5 minutes, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Honorable Mention ::An ordinary game of "let's pretend" turns uncanny as alone in the woods, a girl projects life, voice and ultimately her own identity onto an unexpected surrogate in a doll's dress. * A Covenant Adam directed by Ariana Hamidi :Experimental, 15 minutes, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ::Hidden gestures reveal an expression of memory and the loss of memory navigated through a family history filled with violence and fear. * Blood of the Earthworm directed by Brittany Gravely :Experimental, 32 minutes. Winner Best Experimental. ::According to this archive of strange documentation, the top of the industrial/corporate food chain saps blood from the Earth to feed its network of machines. An unsustainable web of life is created - feeding off of the exploitation of humanity. * Startle Pattern directed by Eric Patrick :Animation, 13 minutes, Greensboro, North Carolina. Honorable Mention. ::Awesome. The interior space of a puppet becomes increasingly relfective - revealing the artifice of his own creation. * Fission (2006) directed by Kun-I Chang :Animation, 5 minutes, New York, New York. Winner Best Animation. ::A motion graphic film of a man seeing himself as graffiti on the wall. Morning Session at the Roberts Street Theatre * Mile Post 398 :Narrative Feature Native American Voices, 110 minutes. Winner Best Narrative Feature Native American Voices * Gesture Down/I Don’t Sing :Documentary Short Native American Voices, 10 minutes. Winner Best Documentary Short Native American Voices. * American Cowboys :Documentary Short Native American Voices, 47 minutes. Honorable Mention. Afternoon Session at the Fargo Theatre * Native American Blessing : * Waterbuster directed by J. Carlos Pienado :Documentary Feature Native American Voices, 79 minutes, Quelhee, Vermont. Winner Best ::A documentary on the impact of the massive North Dakota Garrison Dam Project, constructed in the 1950's by the Army Corps of Engineers, which laid waste to a self-sufficient American Indian community, submerging fertile land and displacing the filmmaker's family and the people of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation * Manoomin: The Sacred Food directed by Jack Pettibone Riccobono :Documentary Short Native American Voices, 5 minutes, Callaway, Minnesota. Honorable Mention. ::The White Earth Land Recovery Projects work to maintain the genetic integrity of Wild Rice for all Minnesotans. * Share the Wealth directed by Bennie Klain :Documentary Short Native American Voices, 8 minutes, Austin, Texas. Honorable Mention. ::A Native woman on an urban street encounters stereotyped misunderstanding in this poignant drama and ironic parable. * Gesture Down/I Don’t Sing directed by Cedar Sherbert :Documentary Short Native American Voices, 10 minutes, Los Angeles, California. Winner Best Documentary Short Native American Voices. ::A starkly beautiful first-person rumination on place, longing and identity. A graceful and highly personal interpretation of the poem "Gesture Down to Guatemala" by Blackfeet writer James Welch. * Buffy Sainte-Marie: A Multimedia Life directed by Joan Prowse :Documentary Feature Native American Voices, 63 minutes, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ::The story of a remarkable woman and storyteller who shared her life and songs with the world. This documentary chronicles her career as she rises to prominence in the 1960's Greenwich Village folk music scene and blazes a groundbreaking path as an Aboriginal activist, digital artist and popular songwriter. Afternoon Session at the Roberts Street Theatre * The Blacksmith :Narrative Short, 4 minutes. ::A hard worker with a dirty job whose wife gives him a son. Unforseen events take place and his priorities change. No weapon can prosper and life continues to bless him. * Eaten :Student, 6 minutes. * One More Coffee :Student, 9 minutes. ::Ready to move on to the next step in life, a bored twelve-year-old falls in love with a cute high school girl. But when his cocky older brother starts dating her, he is determined to steal her away. A coming-of-age-comedy. * Senior Moments (2007) directed by Anthony Tilton :Narrative Short, 27 minutes. ::Five older military veterans tire of injustices they see around them and decide to do something about it... unfortunately they bite off more than they can handle when a local mobster gets involved. * The Death of Poe (2006) directed by Mark Redfield :Narrative Feature, 85 minutes. ::A cinematic chronicle of the great writer's final journey into madness and fear. The movie mixes recreations of Poe's life and last days with terrifying imagery from his stories. Pre-Party * Hotel Donaldson Evening Session at the Fargo Theatre * Fission (2006) directed by Kun-I Chang :Animation, 5 minutes, New York, New York. Winner Best Animation. ::A motion graphic film of a man seeing himself as graffiti on the wall. * Chronicles of Impeccable Sportsmanship (2006) directed by Erika Tasini :Narrative Short, 7 minutes, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Winner Best Narrative Short. ::The endless contentions of competitive parents seen through the curious eyes of a perceptive and enterprising little girl. * Alone :Student, 16 minutes. Winner Best Student Drama. ::Close friends can care and understand each other - but they can't always save each other. * A Message directed by Daniel Bruns :Student, 5 minutes, West Fargo, North Dakota. ::Following a bad break up with his girlfriend, a man realizes that his life is not complete without her. As a result, he writes an emotionally charged message asking for her forgiveness. * A Cigar at the Beach (2006) directed by Stephen Keep Mills :Narrative Short, 15 minutes. ::A modern tale of the mid-life male. * Slatland (2005) directed by Brett Bell :Narrative Feature, 49 minutes, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Winner Best Narrative Feature. ::A young woman named Margit is engaged to Rezvan, a Romanian refugee, but she suspects there is more to his family situation back home than he lets on. The answer may lie in her own childhood, her parents' divorce, and with an unconventional psychiatrist. Evening Session at the Roberts Street Theatre Related Media * 2007 Fargo Film Festival State Bank Promo (2007) External Links * Beyond the Call at the Internet Movie Database * The Boat People at the Internet Movie Database * Chronicles of Impeccable Sportsmanship at the Internet Movie Database * A Cigar at the Beach at the Internet Movie Database * Cine Manifest at the Internet Movie Database * Downtown Locals at the Internet Movie Database * Gesture Down/I Don't Sing at the Internet Movie Database * Johnny Tootall at the Internet Movie Database * The Morning After at the Internet Movie Database * No One Ever Wins at the Internet Movie Database * Sadie Turns Seven at the Internet Movie Database * A Short History of Sweet Potato Pie and How It Became a Flying Saucer at the Internet Movie Database * Slatland at the Internet Movie Database